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The Staff of SOH
CD_KD_Netherlands airfield package
- Thread starter Cees Donker
- Start date
UncleTgt
SOH-CM-2025
Browncoat,
Seeing the variety of display issue posts you've raised recently makes me think of PC hardware issues.
All the merged airfield backdrops are usually saved as DXT3 bmps. The objects in the screengrabs here look like tree objects, which are usually DXT1 bmps with an alpha.
I wonder if the newer graphic cards are starting to drop some parts of the code to support DXT transparency?
I know from recent experience that newer NVidia cards don't like DXT1 or DXT3 format if there isn't any alpha channel active in the image - they just display it as black like in your screenshot.
I use DXTbmp to re-save the problem bitmap as 565 bmp (instead of DXT1 or DXT3 where the alpha channel is completely white) & that usually cures the display problem.
But having said all this, weirdly, where the DXT format image has an alpha with content on it (there are some black parts), then the bitmap displays without issue ...
go figure!!!
Seeing the variety of display issue posts you've raised recently makes me think of PC hardware issues.
All the merged airfield backdrops are usually saved as DXT3 bmps. The objects in the screengrabs here look like tree objects, which are usually DXT1 bmps with an alpha.
I wonder if the newer graphic cards are starting to drop some parts of the code to support DXT transparency?
I know from recent experience that newer NVidia cards don't like DXT1 or DXT3 format if there isn't any alpha channel active in the image - they just display it as black like in your screenshot.
I use DXTbmp to re-save the problem bitmap as 565 bmp (instead of DXT1 or DXT3 where the alpha channel is completely white) & that usually cures the display problem.
But having said all this, weirdly, where the DXT format image has an alpha with content on it (there are some black parts), then the bitmap displays without issue ...
go figure!!!Hello @UncleTgt ,
I haven't had CFS2 built out like this since maybe 2006, 2009? That was when I used to try to have everything in one install (I'll never do that again...). That was also before the massive scenery build out that you, KD, Achim and others have done CFS2 since. I always enjoyed the3 immense collection of aircraft CFS2 offers, but now with all of the tailored scenery involved, it is just nuts what this old 25 year old game can do! I really do enjoy it, but CFS2 is also a reason why I don't mess with mods for too many of my other games... it can be enough to drive me crazy!
I think you are correct in that 'we' may be approaching the end of the road for 'new' hardware effectively supporting CFS2. I feel that this has been the case ever since the release of Windows10 with the various config file 'hacks' that have to be done to get CFS2 to 'see' a current graphics card. Other issues just stem from the 'age' of the game. Some already and files a have seen so many revisions that at times hard to track what is current and what works. The best we can do is to keep track of what works and possible why it works.
Some good examples are the Malta issue I had, which turned out to be a 'bad' file with one of MR's objects collections that I had in my personal library, and fixed by downloading the latest copy. Another was dealing with of Allen's model 32/23 Zeros. Thanks to him I was able to find the offending file that WIndows10 didn't like and fix it (I also created a note pad file detailing the fix for future me).
I don't want to be alloying in my posts. I don't have the tools or the time to be able to build addons the likes of you, Andrew, Captain or any of the other wonderful Artists that have added to the game over the past 25 years. I do hope that I am helpful in ferreting out issues so as to help keep things running.
I haven't had CFS2 built out like this since maybe 2006, 2009? That was when I used to try to have everything in one install (I'll never do that again...). That was also before the massive scenery build out that you, KD, Achim and others have done CFS2 since. I always enjoyed the3 immense collection of aircraft CFS2 offers, but now with all of the tailored scenery involved, it is just nuts what this old 25 year old game can do! I really do enjoy it, but CFS2 is also a reason why I don't mess with mods for too many of my other games... it can be enough to drive me crazy!
I think you are correct in that 'we' may be approaching the end of the road for 'new' hardware effectively supporting CFS2. I feel that this has been the case ever since the release of Windows10 with the various config file 'hacks' that have to be done to get CFS2 to 'see' a current graphics card. Other issues just stem from the 'age' of the game. Some already and files a have seen so many revisions that at times hard to track what is current and what works. The best we can do is to keep track of what works and possible why it works.
Some good examples are the Malta issue I had, which turned out to be a 'bad' file with one of MR's objects collections that I had in my personal library, and fixed by downloading the latest copy. Another was dealing with of Allen's model 32/23 Zeros. Thanks to him I was able to find the offending file that WIndows10 didn't like and fix it (I also created a note pad file detailing the fix for future me).
I don't want to be alloying in my posts. I don't have the tools or the time to be able to build addons the likes of you, Andrew, Captain or any of the other wonderful Artists that have added to the game over the past 25 years. I do hope that I am helpful in ferreting out issues so as to help keep things running.
UncleTgt
SOH-CM-2025
Hertzie,
If you have Martin Wright's DXTbmp, you could try this for your WIN X PC use...
Open "tree1.bmp" with DXTbmp & try saving it as 555-1 format. This format uses a single alpha channel, just like DXT1, but maybe your WIN X system will recognise & display it properly...
@Browncoat You using any add-on like DDrawCompat, DxWrapper or dgVoodoo 2? I know DDrawCompat has problems with textures saved with Microsoft's imagetool and it looks a lot like you are seeing with the trees.
Here's tree1.bmp - see if it shows up now. If it does I'll add the texture to the package.
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